My toddler asked me if she could drive the car yesterday. Obviously I said no and had to explain that she had another 14 or so years before she could actually get behind the wheel. The tween then piped up that she only had 7 years to go and could she have a car for her 17th birthday (!!) but I told her that she had to pass her test first. (I must start a savings account for the car fund!)

I passed my test first time but this was long before the theory test was introduced and it occured to me that I have been driving for some 17 years and whilst most things are now second nature, I suspect I would need to revise for today's theory test.

Do you think you would pass? Have a little try of this great quiz from We Buy Any Car to test your driving knowledge - you might be surprised at how much or little you do actually know!

This quiz was created byWeBuyAnyCar.com

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Is it safe to take a baby or toddler swimming after having their injections?

This is a conversation starter that I have had numerous times at playgroups and with fellow mums and as a parent, I am not sure that there is a definitive answer. The Water Babies website tells us that NHS guidelines say you can take your baby swimming at any time, regardless of whether they’ve had their injections. The high quality of the water required in public pools makes the likelihood of transmitting infections very unlikely; plus, the diseases against which your baby is inoculated can’t be carried in chlorinated water anyway. 

The toddler had her second round of MMR injections recently and I was unsure how she was going to react to them. 

She was giving her instructions to me from the side, so I think it is fair to say she was fine.

She has mastered getting in and out of the water safely and loves being able to jump in and swim to me now. She will swim independently around me too, her confidence growing week on week.

Swimming every week has made a noticeable difference in her own confidence and ability. Typically with children, we don't make it every week because little ones get poorly, that's life. The Water Babies team understand if you have a bit of a cold but if either you have any significant illness, including ear infections, (the dreaded) chicken pox, or vomiting/diarrhoea, it is not fair on you, your child, the other families, your teacher, or indeed the pool. We have been there when the pool has had to be emptied as a result of a "poo" incident and it only leads to disappointment for lots of people.

So going back to the debate of whether children should go swimming after having their injections, should you or should you not go swimming? The Water Babies team tell us that they have had lots of little ones who’ve been for their jabs in the morning, come swimming in the afternoon, and had no problems at all. In fact in some ways it may even help them a little, since the warm water can soothe grizzly nerves or stiff little arms or legs.

Ultimately, you know your baby or toddler best, so if you think they are okay to swim then do as our little one does and just take the plunge!

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I have to admit, I have been in hibernation. I love winter time (mainly for the excuse to wrap up in lots of layers and snuggle on the sofa) but over the past few weeks, I have been itching to get outside and blow away the cobwebs of winter so when I saw the first snowdrops, I was already putting away my winter boots.

We woke this morning and had a play date arranged with one of the toddlers friends and rather than go to soft play, I suggested an early morning trip to the park. 

Getting up early is not usually my favourite thing but the girls loved having the park to themselves, which is much more preferable for them (and ensures there is somewhere for us mums to sit!).

Sadly both girls suffer from asthma, so running around too much has to be cut short by us "mean" mums, to allow them to catch their breath, so we retired to the coffee shop (and gave us a chance to catch up!).

The fresh air this morning started my day off so differently to mooching around the house, cleaning and insisting the tween did her homework, it was refreshing to just get outside and enjoy the beautiful morning.

The toddler wanted to get back outside this afternoon, so I was chasing her around at home on her scooter.......

Unfortunately for them, the chickens were soon the focus of her chase. I was kind of hoping they maybe laying me an egg here but the toddler put paid to that.

Despite no eggs, it was so good to be outside. This week has been a tough one for a multitude of reasons but being outside really does clear the head. Happy children makes for happy mums too.

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Every once in a while we find a brand that we not only love but one that evokes our senses. Today that brand is NV Candles.

We love that all the candles in their collections are individually hand made in the UK and contain only two ingredients: eco-soy wax sourced from sustainable supplies which is environmentally friendly with no additives, and the finest quality essential or fragrance oils from the UK’s leading perfumers, nothing else. We all know that candles help to set the mood in your home with this wonderful collection of scented candles and diffusers by NV. Passionate about creating uplifting scents, NV use a fusion of aromas to create beautiful fragrances that completely transform a room. Individually handmade in the UK, each candle is made to be environmentally friendly and uses only the finest quality fragrance oils from the UK’s leading perfumers. Their collection features scents from tropical fruits to oriental woods.

We have candles on every evening at home but we frequently find that the scent seems to reduce as the candle burns but the clever folk at NV Candles tell us that if you always keep the wick trimmed to 6mm, it reduces smoking and helps the candle burn slower so increasing the life of your candle. It apparently also makes it easier to light.

The NV gift sets contain a full size Symphony candle in a tin and the matching Infusions reed diffuser. They come presented in a sturdy box with magnetic closure. The gift boxes are wrapped in their signature stylish leaf print tissue and finished off with a silver foil label.

Candles always make the perfect gift, so with Mothers Day on the horizon, the generous NV Candles team are giving you the opportunity to win one of their gorgeous Mothers Day gift sets. All you need to do is enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Terms & Conditions

UK Entrants Only.
The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 5 working days by email
NV Candles will be responsible for the despatch of the prize.
NV Candles will make every effort to provide the gift set requested but this cannot be guaranteed
By entering this competition, you understand that your details will be retained by NV Candles for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 12/03/2015 at 12am

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